Removal of Methylene Blue from aqueous solutions using as biosorbent Sargassum muticum: an invasive macroalga in Europe

Methylene Blue adsorption on Sargassum muticum, an invasive macroalga in Europe, has been investigated using visible absorption spectroscopy. Different pre‐treatments, protonation and chemical cross‐linking with CaCl₂ or H₂CO, have been tested in order to improve the stability as well as the adsorption capacity of the algal biomass. The equilibrium binding has been described in terms of Langmuir or Freundlich isotherms depending on the algal pre‐treatment; from the maximum adsorption capacity values, an estimation of the algal specific surface area was made. Moreover, it has been found that adsorption kinetics can be described according to the first order Lagergren model, from which the rate constant and the adsorption capacity were determined. Finally, simple empirical equations were obtained to evaluate the amount of Methylene Blue removed at any initial concentration and reaction time. The results obtained have shown that this type of material has a high adsorption capacity for Methylene Blue dye, this feature together with the short times needed to reach the equilibrium suggest that Sargassum muticum can be used as a low‐cost biosorbent in wastewater treatments. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of Different Drying Methods on Bioactive Compound Yield and Antioxidant Capacity of Phyllanthus amarus

Phyllanthus amarus (P. amarus) has been used as a herbal medicine, particularly for liver support, in many countries and its extracts have been shown to possess potent antioxidant and anticancer properties in vitro. The preparation of dried sample is crucial for further extraction and isolation of phytochemicals. In this study, the effects of six different drying methods (hot air, low-temperature air, infrared, microwave, sun, and vacuum drying) on the phytochemical yield and antioxidant capacity were determined to identify the optimal drying method for P. amarus. The results showed that different drying methods, as well as different drying conditions within each method, significantly affected phytochemical yield and antioxidant capacity of P. amarus extracts. Infrared drying at 30°C was the best method for both retention of bioactive compound yield and antioxidant capacity of P. amarus extract, with 12 compounds were identified. In contrast, low-temperature-air drying at 25°C not only required the longest drying time but also significantly reduced the levels of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of P. amarus. Therefore, infrared drying at 30°C is suggested for drying P. amarus for subsequent assessment of bioactivity.     

Selection of Natural Extracts for their Antioxidant Capacity by Using a Combination of In Vitro Assays

Numerous different in vitro assays, labeled as “antioxidant assays,” are used intensively to predict the antioxidant capacity of phenolic compounds. Most of these methods give valuable information in terms of chemical reactivities but also present some weaknesses. It may be difficult to use them to predict antioxidant capacity in real conditions. Indeed, lipid oxidation is a complex reaction, with numerous paths and components, and antioxidant action can occur via a multitude of mechanisms, especially when different phases coexist in the lipid-based formulation. Yet, correctly combining selected in vitro methods to extract complementary information with respect to antioxidant behaviors would be much better and will help reducing the gap between prediction and efficacy in the finished product. Thus, we hereby propose a methodology to evaluate the antioxidant properties of 12 selected natural polyphenolic extracts based on the appropriate combination of in vitro assays. The scores obtained with the DPPH test, the measure of the chelation capacity, the evaluation of antioxidants efficiency in emulsions (CAT and VESICAT assays), or in bulk oils were submitted to a statistical treatment. This analysis allowed a ranking on their global antioxidant capacities and the creation of clusters depending on their mechanisms of action and the type of media where the tests were performed.     

Plant Phenolics as Dietary Antioxidants for Herbivorous Insects: A Test with Genetically Modified Tobacco

High foliar phenolics are generally assumed to increase resistance to insect herbivores, but recent studies show that tobacco lines modified to over– and underexpress phenolics do not exhibit higher constitutive resistance to caterpillars. This is contrary to the expectation that ingestion of tobacco phenolics, particularly chlorogenic acid, should cause oxidative stress in herbivores. We investigated free radical production and antioxidant capacity of fresh crushed leaves of tobacco lines exhibiting over a sixfold difference in chlorogenic acid content to test whether high phenolic concentrations are associated with increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The effects of in planta phenolic levels on feeding behavior, growth, biochemical markers of oxidative stress, and the antioxidant capacity of midgut fluid and hemolymph were assessed in tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens. The experiments showed that high phenolic foliage was more prooxidant than low phenolic foliage, but the net balance in crushed tissue was antioxidant in comparison to buffer and the commercial antioxidant standard, Trolox. In H. virescens, the antioxidant capacity of midgut fluid was also powerful, and caterpillars fed high phenolic foliage did not exhibit the expected markers of oxidative stress in midgut tissues (altered ascorbate ratios, disulfides, or total hydroperoxides). Instead, hemolymph of larvae fed high phenolic foliage exhibited improved total Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). These results suggest that the elevated foliar phenolics in some plants may have beneficial antioxidant properties for herbivorous insects, much as dietary phenolics do in mammals.     

Isolation,Stability, and Antioxidant Activity of Anthocyanins from Lycium ruthenicum Murray and Nitraria Tangutorum Bobr of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Four anthocyanins, namely petunidin-3,5-O-diglucosides(L1), petuinidi-3-O-rutinoside(trans-p-coumaroyl)-5-O-glucosides(L2),cyanidin-3-O-(trans-p-coumaroyl)-diglucoside(N1), and pelargonidin -3-O-(trans-coumaroyl)-diglucoside (N2) have been obtained by preparative HPLC from Lycium ruthenicum Murray and Nitraria Tangutorum Bobr. The stability and antioxidant capacity of these four individual anthocyanins were carried out in this paper. For stability capacity examination, pH stability (pH 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13), photostability (exposed to light), and thermostability (5°C and 35°C) were systematically investigated. As for antioxidant capacity evaluation, DPPH radicals scavenging assay and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay were employed. The results showed that acidic solution tended to be favorable condition for all anthocyanins mentioned above. However, as the pH of solution increased, anthocyanins were becoming more unstable. In photostability and thermostability assays, the acylated anthocyanins behaved more stable than non-acylated anthocyanins. These results also indicated that the anthocyanins which had more powerful radical scavenging ability (DPPH) tended to possess stronger FRAP capacity. These data also indicated that the structures of aglycone and acyl group greatly affected the stability and antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins. Given the results obtained from our study, the high stability and antioxidant merits that the purified anthocyanins displayed made the two berries of Qinghai-Tibetan plateau become ideal resources of natural pigment.     

Characterization of Olive-Leaf Phenolics by ESI-MS and Evaluation of their Antioxidant Capacities by the CAT Assay

Olive leaves are a very abundant vegetable material containing various phenolic compounds, such as secoiridoids and flavonoids, that are expected to exert strong antioxidant capacity. However, little is known about the variation of olive-leaf phenolic composition during maturation and its influence on antioxidant capacity. To answer this question, young and mature Olea Europaea L. leaves were submitted to successive extraction with dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol, then characterized by ESI-MS. It appeared that mature olive-leaf extracts contained higher levels of verbascoside isomers and glucosylated forms of luteolin, while young ones presented higher contents of oleuropein, ligstroside, and flavonoid aglycones. Moreover, antioxidant capacity evaluation using our newly developed conjugated autoxidizable triene assay showed that, in a lipid-based emulsified system, this phenolic composition variation leads to a change in the ability of extracts to counteract lipid oxidation. Mature olive-leaf extracts exhibit higher antioxidant capacity than young olive-leaf extracts. This result enables us to hypothesize that two main bioconversion scenarios may occur during maturation of olive leaves, which could explain changes observed in antioxidant capacity: (1) a bioconversion of oleuropein and ligstroside into verbascoside isomers and oleuroside, and (2) a bioconversion of flavonoid aglycones into glucosylated forms of luteolin. Finally, this study leads to a better understanding of the relationship between phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity of olive leaves.     

Chronic and acute effects of walnuts on antioxidant capacity and nutritional status in humans: a randomized,cross-over pilot study

Background  

Compared with other common plant foods, walnuts (Juglans regia) are consistently ranked among the highest in antioxidant capacity. In vitro, walnut polyphenols inhibit plasma and LDL oxidation, while in animal models they lower biomarkers of oxidative stress and raise antioxidant capacity. A limited number of human feeding trials indicate that walnuts improve some measures of antioxidant status, but not others.     

Hot-Water Extraction Optimization of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and Red Maple (Acer rubrum L.) Bark Applying Principal Component Analysis

In the forest industry, bark is an abundant residue, predominantly converted into calorific energy. As the antioxidant potential of phenolic compounds from sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) bark has previously been established, the present study focused on the hot-water extraction optimization of these barks. Several process parameters (maple species, temperature, duration, ratio bark/water, particle size) were thus studied and large disparities were found between the two species. Extraction yield, phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity of red maple extracts were several times higher than those of sugar maple extracts. Principal component analysis, applied to the selected best extraction conditions, identified 3–4 clusters depending on the maple species. These groups were sorted from the highest extraction yield and energy consumption combined with the lowest phenolic content and antioxidant capacity, to moderate extraction yield and energy consumption with the highest phenolic content and antioxidant capacity.     

Application of solvent dye in the field of biodiesel preservation

In this study, biodiesel (OSRB) from degummed oilseed radish oil (OSR) was obtained by transesterification, and the effect on its thermal stability of a binary compound containing a conventional antioxidant and a solvent dye was evaluated. A combination of the traditional antioxidant tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and a solvent dye, so-called CI Solvent Blue 35 (SB-35), was prepared and incorporated into OSR and OSRB prior to analysis. The acid value, peroxide value, and induction period were measured, and it was found that TBHQ and SB-35 were highly effective in stabilising OSR and OSRB when used in combination. The TBHQ/SB-35 blend had strong antioxidation activity, even at very low concentrations, when compared with the addition of the individual compounds. In summary, the results showed that a TBHQ/SB-35 blend may be successfully used as an alternative additive for improving oil and biodiesel preservation.     

Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Monovarietal Olive Oils Produced in Argentina

Virgin olive oil has high levels of phenolic compounds that are highly bioavailable; these compounds are receiving considerable attention for their antioxidant activity, closely related to the prevention of non‐communicable chronic diseases. The aim of this work was to characterize the phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity of monovarietal olive oils cvs. Arauco, Arbequina, Farga and Empeltre produced in Argentina. This study focused on the relationship between the single molecules or classes of molecules quantified by SPE‐CZE, the corresponding Folin‐Ciocalteu results, and antioxidant capacity using three different tests. Fifteen compounds were simultaneously determined: tyrosol, vinylphenol, oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, rutin, catechin, naringenin, cinnamic acid, chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, luteolin, apigenin, vanillin acid, quercetin, and caffeic acid. The phenolic contents of the monovarietal olive oils show significant differences between different varieties (p < 0.05), with positive and significant Pearson's correlation found between Folin–Ciocalteu and CZE. Besides, the correlation between the content of total polyphenols and antioxidant capacity was high for all the antioxidant assays performed. When analyzing the correlation coefficients of the different families of phenolic compounds studied, simple phenols and cinnamic acid derivatives show a higher correlation with antioxidant capacity. Thus, findings obtained in this study demonstrated that Arauco olive oil, autochthonous for Argentina, possesses the highest antioxidant/free‐radical scavenging properties, which are very likely due to the presence of high contents of phenolic compounds.     

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Properties of Micronutrients in Different Vegetable Oils

Micronutrients (tocols, sterols, and total phenolic) and antioxidant activities of 15 varieties of common vegetable oil samples obtained from different countries are investigated. All methanol extracts are assayed for total antioxidant ability and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) using oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method and CAA assay. CAA has been widely used in the evaluation of food antioxidants recently. It quantifies antioxidant capacity utilizing a HepG2 cell model, which is more biologically representative. Linseed and sesame oils show much higher CAA values than the others tested; however, levels of walnut, sunflower, and coconut oils are extremely low, which are hard to be quantified. A significant correlation between the ORAC and CAA values and total phenolic content (p < 0.05) is observed. High‐phenolic olive oil has the highest level of phenolics and the highest ORAC, while linseed oil has the highest CAA value. Based on this, choosing proper edible oil consumption may reduce oxidative damage of human body and promote the precision processing of edible oil such as retaining beneficial ingredients moderately. Practical Application: This study demonstrates the evaluation of the universality of vegetable oils by the cellular antioxidant model and provides a data reference for the selection of edible oils with excellent antioxidant properties.     

Seasonal Variation of Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pistacia atlantica</Emphasis> Desf. Leaves

The composition and antioxidant activities of Pistacia atlantica Desf. essential oil were investigated. Qualitative and quantitative differences in compositions and in antioxidant activities of male and female leaf essential oils were observed during the season. The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation were analysed by GC and GC–MS. The oils were rich in monoterpenes hydrocarbons and oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The main components of male essential oil were α-pinene/α-thujene, spathulenol and bicyclogermacrene. The major component of female essential oil was δ-3-carene. The seasonal variation showed that most of the main components of the oils reached theirs highest values in September. The antioxidant activity of the oil was investigated in vitro using two assays: DPPH^· (2,2-di-phenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical-scavenging and FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power). The highest antioxidant capacity to scavenge free DPPH radicals was reached in the month of June for male oils and during the months of September–October for the female oils. The high reducing power for male oil was observed during the month of June and for the female oil it was in August. The female oil was more active than the male oil. The antioxidant capacity of the female oil was almost ten times higher than Ascorbic acid in the FRAP assay.     

Evaluation of antioxidant capacity of sesamol and free radical scavengers at different heating temperatures

Sesamol is a natural antioxidant found in sesame oil from roasted sesame seeds. Activation energy and antioxidant capacity of sesamol were determined and compared with other free radical scavengers (FRSs) including tert‐butylated‐hydroxyquinone (TBHQ), butylated‐hydroxyanisol (BHA), or α‐tocopherol in a lard model system treated with different heating temperature. Each FRS was added in lard and heated at 90, 120, 150, and 180°C for 48, 24, 8, or 2 h, respectively and antioxidant capacity was evaluated by conjugated dienoic acid (CDA) value, conjugated diene hydroperoxides, p‐anisidine value (p‐AV), and a modified 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. Apparent activation energy of sesamol was determined as 12.98 kcal/mol in a lard model system. Antioxidant capacity of sesamol was as good as that of TBHQ and was higher than those of BHA and α‐tocopherol at 90, 120, and 150°C based on CDA, conjugated diene hydroperoxides, and p‐AV assays. The results of a modified DPPH method showed that each FRS showed different distribution of radical scavenging compounds from oxidized lipids (RSOLs) during oxidation. Sesamol may replace synthetic FRSs like TBHQ and BHA in processed foods treated with high temperature. Practical application: Processed foods are frequently treated with high temperature during oven‐drying, roasting, baking, and deep‐fat frying. This study showed that sesamol, one of natural antioxidants, had stronger antioxidant capacities than other synthetic FRSs at the temperature ranges from 90 to 180°C. The results of this study can be applied in food industries producing deep‐fat fried foods including snacks, chips, and French fries to extend the shelf‐life of final foods with high temperature treatment.     

Effectiveness of antioxidants on lipid oxidation and lipid hydrolysis of cod liver oil

The capacity of the natural antioxidant from barley husks to retard oxidation of PUFA in cod liver oil (Gadus morhua) was investigated and compared to synthetic antioxidants. The results confirm the efficacy of a natural antioxidant derived from barley husks to slow down the progress of lipid hydrolysis and increase oxidative stability in cod liver oil. The rates of lipid hydrolysis and lipid oxidation were slowed down with increasing concentration of natural antioxidant used. Using 100 mg of the natural antioxidant was more effective than some synthetic antioxidants (BHA 200 mg and BHT 200 mg) against primary and secondary oxidation. The use of propyl gallate (PG) as an antioxidant (200 mg/kg in cod liver oil) was the most effective antioxidant employed in reducing the production of primary and delaying secondary oxidation products. The formation of free fatty acids (FFA) was significantly lower in samples with natural antioxidant (BE200 and BE100) than in the control samples. BHA and BHT were the most effective antioxidants employed to delay the lipid hydrolysis. Practical applications: The use of barley husks, which are residues of the brewing process, was optimized to obtain a crude antioxidant extract. Natural extracts of phenolic compounds with high antioxidant activity were obtained after prehydrolysis and delignification of barley husks. The raw extracts show more than two‐fold antioxidant capacity compared to BHT in terms of EC50. The results demonstrate the efficacy of a natural antioxidant derived from barley husks. The extract could be used in fatty foods (such as butter, oil, etc.) to prevent rancidity.     

Biosorption of a Basic Dye from Aqueous Solutions by Euphorbia rigida

Abstract

In this study, the biosorption of Basic Blue 9 (BB9) dye from aqueous solutions onto a biomass of Euphorbia rigida was examined by means of the initial biosorbate concentration, biosorbent amount, particle size, and pH. Biosorption of BB9 onto E. rigida increases with both the initial biosorbate concentration and biosorbent amount, whereas decreases with the increasing particle size. The experimental data indicated that the biosorption isotherms are well‐described by the Langmuir equilibrium isotherm equation at 20, 30, and 40°C. Maximum biosorption capacity was 3.28×10^?4 mol g^?1 at 40°C. The biosorption kinetics of BB9 obeys the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were calculated to estimate the nature of biosorption. These experimental results have indicated that E. rigida has the potential to act as a biosorbent for the removal of Basic Blue 9 from aqueous solutions.     

Metal‐chelated polyamide hollow fibers for human serum albumin separation

We modified microporous polyamide hollow fibers by acid hydrolysis to amplify the reactive groups and subsequent binding of Cibacron Blue F3GA. Then, we loaded the Cibacron Blue F3GA‐attached hollow fibers with different metal ions (Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Co²⁺) to form the metal chelates. We characterized the hollow fibers by scanning electron microscopy. The effect of pH and initial concentration of human serum albumin (HSA) on the adsorption of HSA to the metal‐chelated hollow fibers were examined in a batch system. Dye‐ and metal‐chelated hollow fibers had a higher HSA adsorption capacity and showed less nonspecific protein adsorption. The nonspecific adsorption of HSA onto the polyamide hollow fibers was 6.0 mg/g. Cibacron Blue F3GA immobilization onto the hollow fibers increased HSA adsorption up to 147 mg/g. Metal‐chelated hollow fibers showed further increases in the adsorption capacity. The maximum adsorption capacities of Co²⁺‐, Cu²⁺‐, and Ni²⁺‐chelated hollow fibers were 195, 226, and 289 mg/g, respectively. The recognition range of metal ions for HSA from human serum followed the order: Ni(II) > Cu(II) > Co(II). A higher HSA adsorption was observed from human serum (324 mg/g). A significant amount of the adsorbed HSA (up to 99%) was eluted for 1 h in the elution medium containing 1.0M sodium thiocyanide (NaSCN) at pH 8.0 and 25 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid at pH 4.9. Repeated adsorption–desorption processes showed that these metal‐chelated polyamide hollow fibers were suitable for HSA adsorption. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 3346–3354, 2002     

Supercritical fluid extractive fractionation: Study of the antioxidant activities of Panax ginseng

This study aimed to investigate the contents and the antioxidant activities of various fractions from ethanol extract of the root powder of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) fractionation technology. Results showed that the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radicals scavenging activity was higher in the residue and Fraction 1 compared with that in the extract. Increasing amounts of total phenolic compounds, total polysaccharides, and saponins were strongly correlated with a higher antioxidant capacity. SC-CO₂ extractive fractionation technology could effectively fractionate the bioactive ingredients from Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer and increase the antioxidant activities of its fractions.     

Effect of the condition of spray-drying on the properties of the polypeptide-rich powders from enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction processing

Abstract

Enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction processing (EAEP) is an environmentally friendly technology that simultaneously extracts both oil and protein. It has shown to be commercial feasibility for high oil recovery (～97%) and favorable protein functionality properties. The present study used soy skim, the liquid co-products obtained using EAEP to produce a polypeptide-rich spray-dried powder. The effects of inlet drying air temperature (140?°C, 160?°C, 180?°C and 200?°C), feed flow rate (3, 6, 9, and 12?mL/min), and solids concentration (25%, 30%, 35%, and 40%) on the properties of the polypeptide-rich powders were investigated. Water activity (a_w), color characteristics, bulk density, Carl Index (CI), Water Solubility Index (WSI), micro-morphology, peptide distribution, and antioxidant capacity were significantly affected by different spray-drying parameters. The results of antioxidant capacity test showed that the spray drying conditions significantly affected the antioxidant capacity of the polypeptide-rich powders. The polypeptide molecular weight size and distribution, the composition of the peptide chain, and the cross-linking with other substances could all affect its antioxidant capacity. Overall, good quality polypeptide-rich powders in terms of physicochemical characteristics, micro-morphology, and functional properties can be produced by spray-drying at an inlet temperature of 160?°C, a feed flow rate of 6?mL/min, and solids concentration of 35%.     

Evaluation of the Sorption Equilibrium and Effect of Drying Temperature on the Antioxidant Capacity of the Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora)

In recent years, interest toward berries has increased (e.g., Myrciaria cauliflora or jaboticaba) because of their high phenolic content (phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins) that has been associated with positive effects on consumer health and which play an important role in the antioxidant properties of food. This study analyzed the sorption isotherms, thermodynamic properties of sorption (isosteric heat and Gibbs free energy), and the evolution of the antioxidant capacity during the drying process. The effects of drying temperatures of 40°, 50°C, and 60°C on the antioxidant capacity and thermodynamic properties of sorption were evaluated. The gravimetric static method for sorption isotherm determination over a range of relative humidity levels from 0.10 to 0.90 was used. The sorption isotherms exhibited a Type II behavior, typical for many foods. The Guggenheim, Anderson, and Boer (GAB); Oswin; Peleg; and Lewicki models were used to fit the experimental data, and it was determined that the GAB and Peleg models were most appropriate for describing the sorption curves. The isosteric heat and Gibbs free energy were obtained from the experimental sorption equilibrium. The isosteric heat of adsorption decreased when the moisture content increased, while the Gibbs free energy increased. In addition, the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity increased while drying at 50°C and 60°C, whereas these factors decreased at 40°C. Our results provide the food industry with information concerning the best drying conditions to preserve antioxidant properties.